DALLAS — Dallas and Collin Counties counted a significant decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness during January’s point-in-time count.
The number recorded in January, 3,718, marks the lowest measured since 2015, according to Housing Forward, the nonprofit agency that leads the response to homelessness in the counties.
For the annual point-in-time count, on one night in January, volunteers and community members walk and drive throughout communities in Dallas and Collin counties and engage the individuals they see experiencing homelessness.
January’s count marks the third straight year of reductions in homelessness, following increases in the last 10 years.
January’s point-in-time count represented a 19% reduction in overall homelessness and a 24% reduction in unsheltered homelessness since 2021, according to Housing Forward.
According to the data, nearly 88% of the 3,718 people counted in January were from Dallas County, 12% were from Collin County, nearly 64% were male, and 36% were female.
Housing Forward partially attributes the drop to the All Neighbors Coalition, a group of 150 organizations working to reduce homelessness, backed by private and public funding.
“The success we are seeing in Dallas and Collin counties goes against national trends,” said Peter Brodsky, Housing Forward board chair. “Together, we have built an infrastructure that is now housing more people experiencing homelessness than ever before and providing the critical wrap-around services to ensure people do not fall back into homelessness.”
Since 2021, more than 10,100 people experiencing homelessness have been housed, with decreases this year as compared to 2023 in family homelessness (15%), youth homelessness (22%), and veteran homelessness (21%), according to Housing Forward.
“The organizations that comprise the All Neighbors Coalition are better aligned on our strategies than ever before,” said Dr. David Woody, III, a Coalition board member and the President and CEO of The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in downtown Dallas. “We better understand what it takes to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring, and we are committed to working together to ensure this progress continues.”
Federal officials have recognized the region as a top performer and one of only 27% of communities in the country to reduce homelessness last year, according to Housing Forward. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development earmarked $27 million in annual funding for the All Neighbors Coalition.
The data also shows ongoing challenges, though. While Black households make up just 19% of the general population in Dallas and Collin counties, nearly 57% of the unhoused population is Black, according to Housing Forward.
“The data continues to support our focus on racial equity,” said Sarah Kahn, Housing Forward president and CEO. “A key part of our system transformation is our commitment to advancing racial equity by identifying and dismantling disparities within the homeless response system.”
The new data and details on the next phase of rehousing efforts were released as part of the annual State of Homelessness Address, held this year at the Winspear Opera House in the Dallas Arts District.
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